Podcast
On with Kara Swisher
In her book, Caster Semenya details her athletic accomplishments and the legal battles she faced regarding her naturally high testosterone levels, which led to her being banned from competing in certain events. She discusses her identity as a woman and the labels that have been imposed upon her.
unfortunately, it is not what I have achieved on the track that has likely brought me to your attention
— Episode: Olympian Caster Semenya on Fighting to R...
Episode: Olympian Caster Semenya on Fighting to Run
In her book, Caster Semenya details her athletic accomplishments and the legal battles she faced regarding her naturally high testosterone levels, which led to her being banned from competing in certain events. She discusses her identity as a woman and the labels that have been imposed upon her.
unfortunately, it is not what I have achieved on the track that has likely brought me to your attention
How I define myself, I define myself as Caster and I'm a woman.
Other people's opinion of me is their business, not mine.
The things I did not know about my body I found out along with the rest of the world that I did not have a uterus or fallopian tubes. Newspapers reported I had undescended testicles that were the source of my higher than normal levels of testosterone. They went on to call me a hermaphrodite in my culture, the term does not apply to people like me. But the world media forced a label on me and that is what I'm called to this day.
Yet they thought nothing of cheering on the seeming inevitability of wins by genetically gifted athletes like the sprinter, Usain Bolt, who boasted a stride that's far longer than his peers. No one suggested Michael Phelps's dominance in the pool was unfair and he should have to take medications to ensure that he produced just as much lactic acid as his competitors or have surgery to fix his hypermobile joints.